Would a gun work in outer space?

Question

I think it would work well, but Alan says that it would need air to ignite the propellant.

Answer 1

Yes, it is.

Answer 2

The answer is yes. Gun powder is a mixture of a fuel and and a oxidizer. Ammunition dose not require any oxygen from the environment to burn. As a matter of fact, ammunition made for military purposes is sealed for water proofing. There is no way that oxygen can enter the sealed cartridge. Fireworks, TNT, and the solid fuel mixture used in rockets will also work because of the same reason. If a typical firearm were to be shot in outer space the performance would be much greater than one fired on earth. In the absence of air there would be no resistance to slow the bullet down. The bullet would strike the target at any range at the same speed it left the barrel. In the absence of gravity the bullet's path would be a straight line at any distance. There is also one more difference. In outer space the gun would not make any sound because there is no air to conduct the energy of the muzzle blast.

Answer 3

Well, you can fire guns under water. Rarely does anything happen cause the bullet gets slowed way down by the water, but it still fires. So, yes, you can fire a gun in space. Problem is, you better be attached to something very big and very solid, cause you're going to be pushed back as the bullet is pushed forward. You know, that whole "Every action has an equal opposite reaction thing".

Answer 4

guns work in space just like they do here on earth. the propellant (gun powder) has it's own oxygen supply to burn the explosive material to propel the bullet. The recoil of the weapon would be the same as on earth because it's mass is still greater than the mass of the projectile.

Answer 5

A bullet is sealed virtually airtight. It would probably ignite, but once the pellet leaves the casing the combusition would probably come to a quick halt due to lack of 02 to help continue the burning process

However, Newton's law of motion would take effect and that bullet would travel out the barrel, probably pretty fast, but not as fast as on Earth, but it would not slow down due to friction and drag.

There would also be an equal recoil, pushing the shooter backwards at an equal speed.

Answer 6

That's like asking if a rocket engine would ignite in outer space. It's got it's own air supply.

Answer 7

sure, your gun will fire in outer area. The chemical reaction of the smokeless powder that produces the nice and cozy gasses to propel the bullet require no exterior air. The oxygen mandatory for the reaction are produced by skill of the reactants themselves. because of the fact of this it is likewise obtainable to fire a gun underwater. one element you will see is that as gravity is decreased,the trajectory will flatten and the bullet will circulate plenty farther. additionally, considering air drag has a reported effect on a bullet's overall performance, once you eliminate or shrink the density of the gas in which it has to circulate, the trajectory will flatten. Theoretically, in case you fired a gun in outer area, except the bullet encountered the effects of gravity of a few great .merchandise, alongside with a planet, action picture star or moon, the bullet could circulate on for eternity. this is because of the inability of density of any medium in which it may could desire to bypass and a entire loss of gravity to act on the bullet.

Answer 8

yes the gun would work in outer space

Answer 9

Yes it would work. Explosives do not need air to ignite.

Answer 10

Zero Gravity, state of not experiencing the effects of gravity, also known as weightlessness.
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Answer 11

its needs air to propell the stuff, but if you didnt need that, it would work well, and keep on gathering speed untill a planet sucked the bullet in with its gravity...!